


Falling Asleep On A Stranger

by Malteser24



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU-All Human, Airplanes, Airports, Alec Falls Asleep On Magnus, Budding Romance, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Kisses, Lunch date, M/M, Magnus Finds It Adorable, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5173523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malteser24/pseuds/Malteser24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"you fell asleep on my shoulder on the plane ride and i would ask you to move but you look so comfy and adorable when you sleep. also you smell really good and the feeling of your breath on my skin is somewhat relaxing, maybe we can go out to lunch in this shitty airport when you wake up?" au</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling Asleep On A Stranger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alecsmanwhore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecsmanwhore/gifts).



> For 'alecsmanwhore': thank you for all of the support and faith, I appreciate it so much. Thank you for all the help recently, and thank you in advance for all the help I will no doubt need in the future. I feel like you and I have created a wonderful friendship and I honestly can't thank you enough for all that you have done. :) x
> 
> Title taken from 'Falling Asleep On A Stranger' by Pierce The Veil because no matter how hard I tried, I could create nothing more perfect and fitting.
> 
> Keep in mind: Teenage Aussie who's never left the country.

Magnus wasn't the biggest fan of airports. There was always too many people, too much luggage and movement and never enough space or chairs. Waiting in an airport for a delayed flight was even worse - people were grumpy because they had to wait, because they wanted to be at their destination yesterday not tomorrow. Children cried or threw tantrums or ran around causing annoyance for all passengers, including their parents.

Airports, for him, just weren't a generally pleasant place to be. And, because of his career as a high-end fashion designer, flights were a constant occurance in his life. The only downside of his ideal, dream job.

Currently, he was trying to get comfortable in the awkard chair of the waiting lounge. His 6pm flight had been pushed back two hours at the least, which meant he wouldn't get to New York in time to have a rest, some time to himself, before his meeting with his impossible manager, Ragnor.

Impossible, because Ragnor never allowed Magnus the complete and utter free reign he so desired. Ragnor said it would be 'disastrous' and 'completely irresponsible' of him, as Magnus' manager, and friend, to allow him to have that much control.

Magnus, for his own part, thought Ragnor was wrong, and that they would in fact sell more items if Magnus was allowed to do whatever he wanted. But, Magnus was hopeless at organising things and likely wouldn't have a job or a career if it weren't for Ragnor, so he doesn't push it that often.

Despite his seemingly endless grumbling, Ragnor was a good friend and fairly nice company - as long as he doesn't bring up Peru - a place Magnus had been banned from during his gap year. Ragnor, and their good friend Catarina, tell him it was an interesting set of adventures. Unfortunately for him, he was intoxicated for most of the trip and he has some trouble attempting ot recall any of it.

He thinks he might have played an instrument of sorts. He's not sure if he was any good at it, though.

Catarina was far too busy looking after patients at Beth Israel to bother herself with any of his irritating complaints.

Or so she told him when he called her with the news of his delayed flight.

He supposed it wouldn't be quite as horrible if there was good food in the airport, or less people, or the only amount of time he'd have to spend was at the most an hour, not three. Or if there was any cute people around he could flirt with.

He'd had no luck finding anyone yet.

* * *

Alec resented his father a lot of days. They'd always had a tense, rocky relationship, but as soon as Alec had come out to his parents, the little string they had been tightrope-walking on snapped, as did their relationship.

And yet, Robert Lightwood always insisted on making Alec do things he didn't want to do, with 'no' not even registering as a possible answer. Such as going to London to meet with potential business partners.

Alec wasn't even interested in the career his father had. But, he also had a horrible fear of confrontation, and disappointing his parents anymore than he already had wasn't the most appealing option.

So, instead, Alec agreed and went to London. Now, he was currently waiting in a Boston airport, for a delayed flight that he was waiting to board on, to finally get back home to New York where he could hopefully ignore his father for at least a week.

All he was waiting for, was enough money to move out. Once he had that, he could just up and go and only have to deal with his father on holidays and some birthdays.

One problem at a time. Currently, it was where he was going to find a vacant seat in the humongous waiting lounge.

Magnus was greatful when, almost an hour later, one of the flight attendants announced that his flight would be boarding in five minutes. He, and the other passengers, were instructed to collect their luggage and form some semblance of organisation.

Of course, Magnus was one of the only few calm passengers who were adhering to all the instructions, not just the first one.

He resisted the urge to sigh and yell at the people in front of him who were moving at a pace slower than a snail's, not wishing to cause any unnecessary conflict.

He really needed some sleep. Or, just some time to himself away from other people.

Magnus staggered up the stairs and down the aisle of the plane. His seat was in the middle section, third row, window seat on the left. He didn't have much on-board luggage, so he just slid into his seat and waited to see if the seat beside him would remain vacant or not.

It didn't.

Three minutes, give or take, later, a gorgeous guy with Magnus' favourite combination, black hair and clear blue eyes, took the seat next to him. He smiled shyly at Magnus, who grinned and possibly stared for a second too long. They both kept to themselves, organising their own things while the rest of the plane filled up with people. Not long after, the doors shut and the flight attendants went through their safety routine, one Magnus had heard countless times before. Knowing it all, practically off by heart, Magnus leaned back in his seat and allowed all the tension in his lower back to ease.

"Magnus," He introduced, once the flight attendants had finished their announcements.

The pretty boy next to him looked over with wide, curious eyes, and Magnus could see that he was startled by the words.

"That's my name," Magnus explained, and he smiled as the guy nodded.

"Alexander." He said, adding quickly, almost sheepishly. "Alec, is what everyone calls me though."

"It's nice to meet you, Alexander." Magnus said, appreciating the way the letters rolled off of his tongue.

Alec blushed, which Magnus found endearing and sweet.

"You, too." Alec said, and Magnus smiled before setting back in his seat. He saw from the corner of his eye as Alec slid headphones in, but his music was far too quiet for Magnus to hear, so he turned his attention to the window beside him.

The sky outside didn't hold anything too interesting, he'd seen sunrises before and while they were admittedly beautiful, the view from a plane wasn't the most ideal way to experience one. He found himself drifting off into his thoughts, creating drafts of future designs and themes for his new collections. He figured Ragnor would appreciate his pre-planning, and if he was hoping for a little more control over his collection and the parading of it, well, it didn't hurt anyone to hope.

They were a little more than a quarter of the way into their flight, when Magnus felt a sudden, warm weight on his shoulder. He looked over, to find Alec fast asleep, with his head resting on Magnus' shoulder. Magnus' first thought was to nudge Alec to wake him up, but Alec looked incredibly adorable, and by the look of the bags under his eyes, Magnus guessed his nap was one that was not only well-needed but possibly well-deserved.

At first glance, his position appeared horribly awkward. But then Magnus noticed how his back was situated, and assumed that Alec wouldn't have fallen asleep if he wasn't comfortable. The worst thing Magnus could do would be to wake him up now.

Besides all of that, Magnus realised after a moment that Alec smelt really nice, like cinnamon and some other scent he liked but couldn't determine. His breath was warm on the bare skin of Magnus' neck, and it sent pleasurable shivers down his spine.

His mind may have travelled to what it would feel like if Alec kissed him on the neck, because that is what his brain was often prone to do when it came to attractive people, but he didn't allow it to go any further. Just because Alec was cute, didn't mean he was interested. Magnus had been in far too many awkward situations from assuming before, he would just have to wait until Alec was awake.

One of the stewardesses came up to them, and upon seeing Alec's sleeping figure, she paused and smiled fondly. Magnus smiled back, nodding when she asked in a hushed voice if he had everything he needed. With one last look at Alec and the lack of distance between him and Magnus, the stewardess nodded once and continued her stroll down the aisle.

Just then, Alec sighed in his sleep. Magnus froze, unsure what Alec was going to do. He finally relaxed when Alec snuggled closer, his body pressed firmer and closer against Magnus'. More warmth seeped into Magnus' skin, and he resisted the urge to link his fingers with Alec's. He wasn't entirely sure where the urge came from - he had never been in a situation quite like this one. There was just something intriguing and utterly inviting about Alec, and Magnus was more than interested.

Of course, it would all be a wasted shame if Alec didn't feel the same about him.

* * *

Alec hadn't noticed he'd fallen asleep, although he wasn't entirely surprised when he slowly roused from his nap. He'd always had found it easy to fall asleep on most kind of transports - planes, cars, buses, trains. There was just something incredibly peaceful about the gentle pace, the rythym that usually eased him out of consciousness. It was something he had done ever since he was a child, and it wasn't something he had grown out of yet.

What was surprising, however, was  _who_ he'd fallen asleep on.

It took him a second, to return to normalcy and for his brain to wake up enough to even register where he was. Then, he realised w _here he was_ , and he shot up, his back rod-straight. The sudden movement created a dizziness in his head and vertigo in his stomach, but there was other things he was concentrating on.

"Magnus, I'm so, so sorry." He muttered, sluggish and blurred. He looked over at the man next to him, who was watching, incredibly amused.

"It's fine, Alexander."

"I promise, I didn't mean to fall asleep, I flew in from London yesterday, and I must still be kind of jet lagged or something." Alec continued, hearing Magnus but not quite registering the words he had said.

"Alec, honestly, I didn't mind." Magnus said, a little firmer. Alec looked at him with wide eyes, unable to believe he'd heard correctly.

"But, I fell asleep on you! And we're practically strangers."

"Yes, but you're a cute stranger. Besides, you looked far too adorable and comfortable, there was no way I was going to wake you."

Alec blushed at Magnus' words. There was no denying how gorgeous Magnus was, not to mention how attracted Alec was.

He wasn't really used to other people being attracted to  _him_ , though.

One of the co-pilots announced five minutes until their arrival in New York, requesting all passengers prepare for landing and hoping they had a good flight.

Alec groaned inwardly, at the thought of having to get off the plane. Back in Boston, all he had wanted was to get home as soon as possible. An yet now, the possibility of leaving Magnus, and never seeing him again...

"Alexander, is everything alright?"

Alec quickly realised that the groan he had thought was quiet had actually been very audible. Magnus' amber eyes were dancing with amusement, and his lips were turned up into a smirk. Alec felt his cheeks heating up once again, and he wondered how one man he'd known for less than a day was able to have such influence over him.

"Yes, it's fine, I just-"

Alec sighed, hoping Magnus wouldn't think he was lame for what he was about to say.

"I'm just kind of disappointed, that the flight is ending. I know it sounds sort of weird considering I fell asleep, but I would have really liked to get to know you better, and now we're landing and I'm sure you have plenty of things you need to do, and-"

"Go out with me." Magnus interrupted, and Alec's eyes almost popped out of his head.

"Pardon?" He asked, his voice a little shaky.

"I'm sorry, that was a little blunt, let me rephrase."

Alec's breath hitched as Magnus reached for his hand, and he held it as Magnus' warm fingers wrapped around his own.

"Alexander, would you like to go out with me? Perhaps at one of those admittedly god-awful places that somehow classify as 'restaurants' in the airport?"

Alec blinked slowly, hoping his surprise was hidden as consideration. He'd never been asked out on a date by anyone before, let alone someone as beautiful as Magnus. He wanted to say yes, he wanted nothing more, but...

"This is probably going to sound really rude, but ... you genuinely want to go out with me?" Alec asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Magnus asked, and Alec could tell he was concerned which only made him feel even more fustrated.

"You're just - you're so beautiful, and I'm not, and I've never been asked out before..."

Alec's voice faded off as Magnus squeezed his hand gently. No words were said in that moment, because none were really needed to.

"I think you're gorgeous, Alec." Magnus said after a moment of silence. "And there is nothing I would like more, than to go on a date with you. If that is what you want, of course."

Alec nodded slowly, the answer satisfying enough. He was still in a light state of disbelief, but he also didn't think Magnus was lying. It was a strange feeling, but he didn't ponder for too long over what he should do about it. After all, there was only one thing he wanted to do.

"I'd love to."

Magnus' grin was pleasant and genuine, and Alec thinked he liked it better than the amused smirk he'd seen before.

The plane landed with a slight, barely noticeable thud, the flight attendants bustling around, getting everything ready. Alec reluctantly took his hand away from Magnus', wrapping his headphones around his phone and making sure there wasn't anything he had forgotten. He fired off a quick message to his sister, letting her know that he was safe, that they had landed, but he was going to get something to eat before he came home.

He didn't mention Magnus, because although he was positive and hopeful, he wasn't certain if anything good was going to come out of their impromptu date.

He hoped something would.

* * *

They exited the plane slowly, and to Magnus' delight Alec barely left his side as they walked. They chatted about small things, why Alec had gone to London - with minimal details - and what Magnus had done in Boston. Alec smiled softly as Magnus rambled on about his progress on his new line, and when Magnus started to drift off because he felt like he was talking too much, Alec asked more questions. The best part, was that Alec was an attentive listener, and he seemed genuinely interested in what Magnus had to say.

They bumped shoulders gently as they waited for the luggage carousel to bring them their belongings. The back of their hands brushed together, knuckles bumping softly, and Magnus' heart warmed when he saw the light blush rising on Alec's cheeks.

"Where would you like to go?" Alec asked once they had their suitcases, and Magnus shrugged.

"Each one is as bad as the other." He joked, and Alec nodded slightly his hand slipping into Magnus', almost nervously.

"Let's see what we find." Alec suggested, and Magnus nodded.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

They found an empty booth at a relatively-good-looking Chinese restaurant, one that was not too busy - by the look of it at least. They ordered quickly, shoving their suitcases under the table, off to the side where they wouldn't be any trouble.

Alec's fingers played a steady rythym on the table, soft taps of his fingertips, and Magnus wondered if there was something nervous about his movements, or whether it was just a habit of his. He reached over and slowly took Alec's hand in his, effectively stopping the beat and pressing their palms firmly together. Alec's cheeks heated slightly, but his smile was brighter and Magnus' heart skipped a beat.

Their food came quicker than either had been expecting, cutting their conversation momentarily short. They still spoke around the food, their hands apart but resting close, and the conversation flowed smoothly, hopping from one topic to the other as easily as stepping over stones. Magnus learned a little more about Alec's distaste for his father and his complete adoration for his siblings, and Alec laughed at Magnus' depiction of his manager and what he can recall from their time in Peru.

Magnus found Alec's laugh sweet and endearing, the way it was almost a giggle, soft and gentle and sounding like the epitome of happiness in a sound. Alec liked the way Magnus' eyes lit up with a sparkle when he spoke, when he smiled, like the entirety of the universe was concealed in the burnt whiskey of his eyes.

Their conversation paused but never lulled completely, and once again Alec found himself disappointed in how quickly time was flying past him. He wanted to freeze it, to stop the clock from ticking so that he could have an endless amount of time getting to know more about Magnus, spending enjoyable hours with him without the pressure of obligations or distractions or any other bothersome thing that would take away the fun he was currently having.

He managed to drag it out until the few drops of soup left in his bowl was undoubtedly stone cold, and the wait-staff were eyeing them with annoyed, irritated looks likely aimed to encourage them to leave. Magnus' hand had wrapped around Alec's again, but this time his fingers were brushing across his knuckles.

"It's an awful shame," He commented, prompting a small smile from Alec.

"That we have to depart so quickly, but I have a meeting with my manager, who you know a surprising amount of by now, and if I'm late he won't let me have any creative ownership at all."

"And that's important to you?" Alec asked, curious.

"Vitally. Ragnor has no flair for the dramatic, nor does he care much for glitter or sequins, all of which are monumentally key components of any good design, in my opinion."

"I wouldn't know, I've never had much of an interest in fashion." Alec admitted. "Although, Isabelle is always attempting to take me shopping."

"Would you let me?" Magnus asked, and Alec raised his eyebrows, a little confused.

"Would you let  _me_ attempt to take  _you_ shopping?" Magnus re-worded, and Alec bushed at the idea, strangely appealing.

"I don't know ... possibly."

"Sounds like a date." Magnus said, winking, and Alec choked out a laugh. Magnus' grin widened, and neither had ever felt happier before.

"It does."

A waiter came by then, clearing their table of the dirty dishes, and as soon as he was gone Alec and Magnus erupted into laughs hidden behind the barrier of their palms. Magnus tugged on Alec's hand, pulling him up out of the booth. Alec took a tentative step forward, and Magnus pulled him closer, until there was barely room for a hand between them.

Magnus cupped Alec's cheek, not moving anything else, their breath coming out shaky and uncertain, mingling in the air between them. Alec's hand came up to rest on Magnus shoulder, because he wasn't sure what else to do with it. His heart was pounding against the walls of his chest, knocking against the bone of his ribs, and he was certain the force would cause his sternum to splinter.

"I'd really like to kiss you," Magnus whispered, leaning closer until his forehead was almost resting against Alec's.

"Then why don't you?" Alec asked, his voice impossibly quiet and with a slight tremble to the vowels.

Magnus stared at him, looking for any faults or signs of uncertainty, and upon finding none, he leaned down. Their lips met with a gentle press, soft and careful at first touch. Ever so surely, Alec's kisses turned firmer and he found himself more sure of what he was doing. Magnus returned his passion with a matching intensity, strong and experienced in a way that was caressing, a way that turned Alec's blood to water and his legs to jelly, his muscles disappearing like a peculiar trick from a magician. Magnus stroked his thumb across Alec's cheek, his hand sliding to grasp the back of Alec's head. Alec's hand tightened on Magnus' shoulder, an anchor to ground him lest he slip and fall to the ground in a melted puddle of Lightwood.

When Magnus pulled away because he was a second away from fainting, Alec made a sound of reluctance and yearning, and he light up like traffic light when Magnus laughed at how completely adorable it was.

Magnus slid his hand down Alec's back, across the taut muscles that tensed at the sudden touch, down the dip in his back where his spine was rigid and Magnus could feel each verterbrae. His hand continued it's journey down until it was in the back pocket of Alec's jeans, pulling his mobile out slowly.

He maintained eye contact with Alec as he swiped it, a little surprised to find no passcode preventing him. He quirked an eyebrow, and Alec shrugged as if it hadn't been his decision.

Magnus tapped the icon for contacts and created a new one, imputing his number and  _'Magnus the Magnificent'_ as his name. Just to put a cherry on top, he snapped a quick selfie for the profile picture, not one of his best, but a good one all the same. Alec scoffed amusedly as he watched, but he didn't make any move to stop Magnus.

"Now," Magnus said, sliding the phone back into the pocket of Alec's jeans where he had first pulled it from. "You can call me whenever you want."

Magnus leaned in, his mouth inches from Alec's hear.

"Preferably soon," He whispered. "Although, I don't want to sound  _too_ desperate."

Alec nodded minutely, and Magnus pecked him on the lips with a kiss that was far too short for the both of them.

It would have continued, had Magnus' phone not beeped, almost impatiently.

"Alexander my dear, I am afraid this is where we must, unfortunately, part for today." Magnus said as he read the text message that had appeared on his phone. Ragnor had, rather impatiently and with words not appropriate for children, requested his immediate presence as soon as humanly possible.

"I understand. I, uh, I had a really good time." Alec said. "I know the circumstances were, different, and we've only known each other for a short time, but I-"

Alec bit his bottom lip, worrying the skin between his teeth. "I really like you."

Magnus smiled, lifting Alec's chin with a light-fingered touch. He kissed Alec's cheek softly, allowing his lips to linger for a second.

"I really like you too." He said, staring at Alec as though he was searching for the secrets of the universe in the crystal blue irises.

"I think you're right ... I think we should definitely do this again." Alec said, and Magnus knew that they were both pushing the boundaries of how long they could pretend they didn't have places they had to be.

He grinned, overwhelmed by how excited Alec had been making him feel.

"I hope it does."

* * *

Ragnor ranted and practically chewed Magnus' head off for being late to their meeting when he had promised he'd be on time,  _he couldn't afford to be late anymore_  ... not that Magnus was paying that much attention. His thoughts kept straying to Alec, whose figurative presence hadn't left him since they had physically parted.

Catarina watched, silent yet amused, because she had a feeling she knew what was going on. She could see that Magnus wasn't listening, and although part of the reason she was even there in the first place was to act as a mediator between her two friends, she was more interested in what had happened to Magnus in the past twenty-four hours or so.

She knew it had to be recent, for the love-drunk gleam in his eyes wasn't something that lasted a long time, it had a short expiry date because after not too long Magnus would tame it so it wasn't as obvious. As he hadn't yet done that, she assumed he had met someone who struck his fancy quite recently.

She knew he was lucky that Ragnor didn't see the little things that she did, Ragnor saw the big picture whereas Catarina analysed every minute detail. She wouldn't say anything yet, she respected Magnus enough to wait for him to tell her himself.

She hoped he was smart enough to tell her within the week, or she might not be able to restrain herself.

* * *

Alec went to his own apartment instead of his family home, yearning for the privacy and the peace he knew was waiting for him at his own place.

Admittedly, he'd probably only get a few hours of serenity, until the next morning if he was four-leaf-clover-lucky, before his adopted brother Jace demanded details from his trip. Details he probably wouldn't be able to completely hide, not all of them at least. And if his girlfriend Clary came too, a likely possibility considering how close she and Alec had grown, there would be no way they wouldn't bleed him dry until they found out about Magnus.

A bright side to it all, was that he knew neither of them would judge him, and would only be happy that he found someone who was interested in him as much as he was them.

Because, although Alec couldn't figure out why Magnus apparently liked him so much, he wasn't exactly going to kick a gift-horse in the mouth. The universe was shining down on him, and it was only fair he thanked it by appreciating the wonderful man he'd met by surprising circumstances.

Although he was still annoyed at how easily his father used him as a business tool more than a son, he wouldn't ever want to go back in time and change it. Because of the plane trip, he'd met Magnus, and although they had spent only a few hours together...

Alec knew Magnus was someone special.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm really proud of this and how it turned out, I think it might just be one of the best things I've posted so far.


End file.
